Department of Commerce: Bloghttps://www.commerce.gov/feeds/blog/category/495
The most recent 20 items in this list.enStudying Birds as Indicators of Ecosystem Healthhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/studying-birds-indicators-ecosystem-health
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/noaabird.jpg?itok=2zWfGAEx" width="200" height="200" alt="A great shearwater as it “shears” over the surface of the ocean in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. " title="A great shearwater as it “shears” over the surface of the ocean in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. " /></span>
<p><em>Guest blog post by Jessica Blakely and Casey Brayton, <a href="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/">NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries</a></em></p>
<p>How can you tell where a tiny forage fish like the sand lance spends its days? Look at what’s eating it.</p>
<p>Popular recreational and commercial fishing species such as Atlantic cod, halibut, flounder and monkfish rely on sand lance as a staple of their diets. These forage fish are also on the menus for predators like humpback whales and many kinds of seabirds, including the great shearwater. However, sand lance are moderately <a href="https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/ecosystems/climate/northeast-fish-and-shellfish-climate-vulnerability/index">vulnerable</a> to changes in ocean and climate patterns, especially warming seas and ocean acidification. "The numbers of these forage fish (sand lance) fluctuate and have been relatively low in the past few years," explains David Wiley, research coordinator for <a href="file:///C:/Users/kcpullen.OSE/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/GSEBDC36/stellwagen.noaa.gov">Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary</a>. Over the past several years, sanctuary scientists have been studying great shearwater populations to better understand the availability of food like the sand lance throughout the sanctuary.</p>
<p>Great shearwaters, one of the many seabird species found within Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, forage for fish by plunging underwater from the air or by seizing items while swimming on the surface. The birds rely on the sand lance, or "sand eels," as major food source in the sanctuary and other parts of the North Atlantic. Populations of these fish depend on oceanographic conditions such as water temperature, current path and nutrient availability; however, these conditions will likely be altered as the marine environment changes. For instance, as the ocean surface warms, changes in upwelling currents could cause fewer nutrients from deeper ocean waters to be brought to the surface, which limits the level of primary productivity of phytoplankton. If there's less primary productivity, there will be less prey for sand lance, which also means fewer sand lance for shearwaters to forage.</p>
<p>In April these seabirds begin their migration up the eastern Atlantic seaboard to forage in the Gulf of Maine. When leaving in the late summer or fall, they migrate in a “figure 8” route, heading east across the Atlantic, south to the North African coast, west across the equator to the South America’s Patagonia Shelf, and then on to Nightingale Island, Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha, and Gough Island in the South Atlantic, where mature animals breed. Their food of choice, the sand lance, thrives in the sandy terrain under the waters of Stellwagen Bank, but rising ocean temperatures and climate-induced changes to prevailing wind patterns could impede the travels of these birds, putting the productive waters of the sanctuary and other parts of the North Atlantic out of reach. In addition, increasingly acidic oceans could reduce productivity and abundance of these forage fish, causing the great shearwaters to alter their movements according to where prey remains in higher numbers.</p>
<p>This summer, researchers in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary launched their fourth cruise since 2013 to document this well-known predator of sand lance in an ongoing study of the birds’ flight paths and foraging and feeding habits. Each year, scientists aboard the sanctuary research vessel Auk use satellite tags to monitor movements of ten great shearwaters, following them through the sanctuary and beyond. In addition to the satellite tagging, this summer breath, feather and blood samples were taken from the great shearwaters to determine what they had eaten in the past days, weeks and months, respectively. The team also took samples from two sooty shearwaters and one manx shearwater, the first time these species were included in the project.</p>
<p>Researchers have coupled the data on the birds’ movements with existing oceanographic data, such as water temperature, chlorophyll concentration and other factors that might result in increased productivity or prey concentrations. The birds can be seriously affected by alterations in their food supply, which are often dictated by water temperature, currents or other factors.</p>
<p>Because the birds are more easily visible than species like sand lance, they are excellent indicators of ecosystem health, and can even mark changes that may occur due to climate change, Wiley says. By mapping the migration of the predatory shearwaters year after year, as Stellwagen Bank has, we can see these changes in real time, and can learn more about the abundance of prey species supporting the rest of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary ecosystem.</p>
<p>From July to November, the research shows that these great shearwaters traveled an average 515 kilometers per week and spent the majority of their time foraging around the rim of the Gulf of Maine where waters are less than 100 meters deep. Researchers also found that, rather than keying in on a single oceanographic factor, the shearwaters used a more flexible foraging strategy. This could mean that shearwaters are adapted to local environmental variability, making them more resilient to climate change, if potential wind shifts do not preclude their journey to the North Atlantic.</p>
<p>Shearwaters are not shy about approaching boats or people, often curiously probing and snatching fish right off the deck of commercial and recreational fishing boats. Unfortunately, their bold spirit can be troublesome; shearwaters can be accidently trapped as bycatch in fishing nets if they dive underwater to snatch food. For this reason, mapping where shearwaters feed within the sanctuary will also identify areas of high bycatch potential to help sanctuary managers make preventive plans to reduce bycatch.</p>
<p>Looking Forward: Soaring shearwaters travel nearly 20,000 miles a year to use Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, an international Important Bird Area, as their feeding ground. Another 52 seabird species are also supported by sanctuary waters. In return, these animals contribute to the overall sanctuary ecosystem and are essential barometers of change in the environment.</p>
<p>Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary needs our collective help to protect the seabirds’ ocean habitat for the animals and for us. One of the largest threats to birds and other ocean animals is rising sea surface temperature due to climate change. When we burn fossil fuels, like oil, coal and natural gas for energy, we are adding carbon dioxide into the atmosphere where it acts like a heat trapping blanket, warming Earth, including the ocean. A warmer ocean may change ocean circulation patterns that bring food to the surface and cause prey species such as sand lance to shift home ranges. If this occurs, the sanctuary may no longer be able to support the community of animals that we have come to know and love.</p>
<p>We can help lessen the threats now by burning fewer fossil fuels. Communities have developed a number of creative programs, including bike shares, farmers markets, energy audits and alternative energy incentives. Join or work with your community to start a program and help protect our magnificent ocean for the animals, for us, and for our future.</p>
<p><em>This blog is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the <a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2013/11/fact-sheet-us-department-commerce-open-business-agenda">Open for Business Agenda</a>. This month’s focus is <a href="//www.commerce.gov/categories/environment">Environment</a>.</em></p>
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 11:48:34 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/studying-birds-indicators-ecosystem-healthInternational Anti-Corruption Day 2016: Leveling the Playing Field for American Companies and Workershttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/international-anti-corruption-day-2016-leveling-playing-field-american-companies
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/corruption.jpg?itok=SgTpd7u5" width="200" height="200" alt="International Corruption Day Logo: United Against Corruption " title="International Corruption Day Logo: United Against Corruption " /></span>
<p>Today we recognize International Anti-Corruption Day, December 9, 2016. As Deputy Secretary of Commerce, part of my job has been to level the playing field and improve the operating environment for American companies and workers competing internationally. I know from my discussions with U.S. enterprises of all sizes that corruption and unethical behavior in international business are serious and longstanding trade barriers. Corruption stymies U.S. exports and hurts the ability of American companies and workers to compete around the world. Whenever we can improve the business climate and open new markets for American products and services, our companies grow, and our workers and families are better off. But corruption doesn’t just harm our companies and affect our economy--it hurts other national interests by impairing economic development and by undermining the rule of law and democracies worldwide. While we have made significant progress in working with like-minded countries to address the scourge of corruption, more work remains to be done. </p>
<p>One key area where we can make further progress is in combating bribery in international business. In March, the United States and more than 50 other countries met at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris to discuss next steps in the fight against foreign bribery and corruption. The countries that are members of the OECD Working Group on Bribery, which monitors the implementation of the Antibribery Convention, reaffirmed their commitment to strong enforcement of their foreign bribery laws and formally launched a new and more targeted phase of country evaluations. As a result of our work in the Working Group on Bribery, more countries have adopted corporate liability so that they can punish their companies for economic crimes such as foreign bribery, more countries are actually bringing foreign bribery cases, and international cooperation in investigating foreign bribery cases is a growing trend. However, enforcement is still lacking in others, which is why continuing the monitoring mechanism of the Working Group on Bribery in order to level the playing field is so important.</p>
<p>We are also working to prevent unethical behavior that results in corruption. We continue to expand our work to strengthen ethical business practices in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum. For example, one of our top priorities has been combating unethical behavior that disadvantages small-and-medium-sized enterprises in APEC markets. We lead the Business Ethics for APEC SMEs Initiative, which promotes the development and implementation of national codes of business ethics for several sectors across the Asia Pacific and the Americas. One of our greatest success stories to date is having a significant positive impact for American health companies and workers, where medical device and biopharmaceutical industry associations across 10 APEC economies have adopted medical device codes that expand the highest ethical standards to a total of 19,000 firms across the region. This initiative serves as a model in U.S. economic diplomacy, concurrently leveling the playing field for American businesses and workers while eliminating root causes to corruption overseas. We are also encouraging companies to put in place robust anticorruption corporate compliance programs to train their workers and prevent bribery. In August, we organized an APEC workshop hosted by the United States and Peru, where more than 100 experts and business representatives shared information and best practices on the elements of effective antibribery corporate compliance programs and incentives for such programs. We also continue to work with our interagency partners on anticorruption initiatives in the United Nations and the G-20.</p>
<p>We have also made commercial diplomacy, particularly in developing markets, a key priority. Our Commercial Law Development Program works in developing countries to provide expert advice on commercial law reforms, including anti-corruption. Most recently, CLDP has led initiatives in Ukraine where it focuses on government ethics, transparency, and corporate compliance, as well as public procurement reform and trade facilitation programs. </p>
<p>Combating international corruption is crucial if American enterprises and workers are to succeed in exporting U.S. goods and services and strengthening sales opportunities to the seven billion consumers that live outside the United States, creating jobs here in America. It has been an honor to be part of this important work with other countries, businesses, and civil society, to create an international marketplace where our companies and workers can compete and win without fear of corruption. </p>
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 10:03:45 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/international-anti-corruption-day-2016-leveling-playing-field-american-companiesUnderstanding Ocean Noise and How it Affects Marine Life: Join Live Reddit Discussion Todayhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/understanding-ocean-noise-and-how-it-affects-marine-life-join-live-reddit
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/orca.jpg?itok=bthKM36M" width="200" height="200" alt="A southern resident orca breaches off Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula. " title="A southern resident orca breaches off Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula. " /></span>
<p><em>The following is a A Q&amp;A with Carol Bernthal and Sarah Fangman, <a href="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/">NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries</a>. Join experts from NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and NOAA Fisheries today from 1-3pm EST for a <a href="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/notes/2016/ocean-noise-reddit-aua.html">Reddit “Ask Us Anything</a>."</em></p>
<p>All across the ocean, marine organisms from tiny fish to enormous whales rely on sound and hearing for their survival. But increasing human activity within our ocean over the last century has also meant increasing levels of noise. Have questions about ocean noise? Join experts from NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and NOAA Fisheries today from 1-3pm EST for a <a href="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/notes/2016/ocean-noise-reddit-aua.html">Reddit “Ask Us Anything</a>."</p>
<p>NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is working to understand the soundscapes within national marine sanctuaries in order to better safeguard the species that rely on sound. How are they doing it? Read on for two perspectives from Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary superintendent Sarah Fangman and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary superintendent Carol Bernthal.</p>
<p><strong>Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary is located off the coast of Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula. Why is sound important in that sanctuary? How would you characterize the sanctuary’s soundscape?</strong></p>
<p>Carol Bernthal (CB): We are just beginning to understand the issue of sound in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, and how to use this information to help protect sanctuary resources. Sound travels further and faster in water than it does in the air, about 4.4 times as fast. Olympic Coast, with its wilderness characteristics above water, provides an interesting case study on how "natural" the underwater seascape really is as compared to more use-intensive marine areas. The sanctuary's proximity to Canada also provides an opportunity to understand sound in an international context -- resource managers on both sides of the border are interested in this information.</p>
<p><strong>In contrast, Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary is located off of Georgia. Why is sound important there?</strong></p>
<p>Sarah Fangman (SF): Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary recently worked with a student at the University of Georgia to create an inventory of acoustically active organisms in the sanctuary and we were amazed at the number of species that utilize sound in some way -- marine mammals, turtles, fish, invertebrates. Recognizing how many organisms are using sounds to communicate, to seek prey, to find mates, and more, made us realize that the soundscape is an incredibly important part of the habitat at Gray's Reef. And we're trying to understand that soundscape so we can determine if it is changing.</p>
<p><strong>What are some animals in your sanctuary that depend on sound for their livelihood?</strong></p>
<p>CB: Southern resident killer whales are an endangered population of approximately 85 individuals that spend the summer in inland waters surrounding British Columbia and Washington State, and in winter use the offshore waters including Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Killer whales use sound for echolocation, social communication, and passive listening. Ambient noise, including natural and anthropogenic sources, has the potential to interfere with the reception and use of these important biological sounds. We also know that fish and seabirds that are found within the sanctuary, use sound for similar purposes of navigation and communication, but are sensitive in different noise ranges compared to marine mammals.</p>
<p>SF: There are so many it's hard to know where to start! Oyster toadfish, which is a common fish in Gray's Reef, and one that has a face only a mother could love, use sound in courtship and spawning. Spotfin butterflyfish use sound to defend their territory. Snapping shrimp use sound to kill prey and deter predators. </p>
<p><strong>What are some of the major anthropogenic sources of sound in your sanctuary?</strong></p>
<p>SF: The primary sources of anthropogenic sound in Gray's Reef are recreational vessels. Small, private fishing and diving boats are the most common visitors to the sanctuary.</p>
<p>CB: Given the sanctuary's location at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, most commercial vessel traffic to ports in the U.S. and Canada in the Salish Sea passes through sanctuary waters. The sanctuary has over 10,000 transits per year by large ships that produce noise. There are also two small harbors within the sanctuary that serve as an entrance point for smaller recreational and commercial fishing boats. The United States Navy has military operating areas offshore that include the sanctuary, where they undertake testing and training activities. Finally, researchers use sound for creating images of the seafloor and documenting marine resources on the ocean floor and in the water column. </p>
<p><strong>What kinds of research is being done in your sanctuary to understand biological and anthropogenic noise?</strong></p>
<p>CB: Acoustic monitoring for cetacean (whale) vocalizations has been conducted in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary funded by the Navy since 2004 to document whale presence and seasonality of use relative to varying ocean conditions and Navy activities. This research specifically targeted detection of southern resident killer whales and beaked whales in the sanctuary. Southern resident killer whale research is helping to define critical habitat as required by the Endangered Species Act. Beginning in 2014, acoustic recording moorings have been deployed by NOAA in coastal waters around the nation for the Ocean Noise Reference Station Network to monitor long-term trends and changes in the ambient sound field. One of these moorings is located just outside Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary at 920m depth and contributes to characterizing the soundscape of the sanctuary and adjacent waters. </p>
<p>SF: Gray's Reef is part of a system wide effort to better monitor and begin to understand the types, sources and patterns of sound in the sanctuary. We are deploying hydrophones at multiple locations during different seasons to begin to collect baseline information on sound in Gray's Reef.</p>
<p><strong>How does scientific research about ocean noise influence the management decisions at your sanctuary?</strong></p>
<p>SF: We're still in the data gathering stage at Gray's Reef when it comes to sound. We're trying to understand what the sound conditions are first -- and if human-created noise could be negatively impacting marine life. If we find that something we're doing is creating impact, then we'll seek a strategy to address that impact.</p>
<p>CB: We are on the front end of better understanding our soundscape, so our focus currently is encouraging and conducting monitoring to characterize current conditions. We have been consulting with the U.S. Navy as they conduct environmental analysis and permitting for their activities within the sanctuary, providing recommendations on how to minimize impacts to sanctuary resources based on what we know about marine mammals and their sensitivity to different sound sources within the sanctuary. </p>
<p><strong>What are some of the management challenges facing your sanctuary with regard to noise?</strong></p>
<p>CB: We just don't know enough about how sound propagates and influences sanctuary resources. It is very expensive to conduct this type of research and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary is a challenging environment to work in, with rough sea states and remote proximity to research facilities. In addition, not all species react similarly to noise, so how does one create effective management actions to address a wide range of species? </p>
<p>SF: The challenge is to understand the soundscape first -- but thankfully we've partnered with other sanctuary staff and partners who are helping us with this effort and we're making exciting progress.</p>
<p><strong>Who are some of the major partners the sanctuary collaborates with to understand and manage ocean noise?</strong></p>
<p>SF: We've worked with researchers at the University of Georgia, the U.S. Navy and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center -- as well as scientists from other sanctuaries and our national marine sanctuaries headquarters office.</p>
<p>CB: The U.S. Navy funds a significant amount of marine mammal research, including monitoring stations within the sanctuary. NOAA Fisheries is also very active in conducting killer whale research within the sanctuary and is the lead agency responsible for conducting permitting under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife is also involved with seabird and fisheries monitoring. A number of environmental groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council are engaged with advocating for better sound management practices within national marine sanctuaries, including Olympic Coast. </p>
<p><strong>What do you think is the most important thing the public should know about ocean noise?</strong></p>
<p>CB: How animals use sound in the ocean is a fascinating subject, one that brings us closer to an empathetic view of what is going on below the surface. We face new challenges every day on how to effectively manage ourselves so as to leave a healthy ocean for future generations. We need people to understand these challenges and apply our brightest minds towards solving them.</p>
<p>SF: As I have come to learn more about soundscapes, what has totally blown my mind is the number of species in the ocean that utilize sound in some way! People typically think of marine mammals when they imagine sound in the ocean -- they don't think of fish! They would be amazed to know about all the different sounds and how they are being used by crabs and shrimp, and baby turtles and lobster...the list goes on and on. And so we need to think about how we may be affecting these creatures and their ability to hear and communicate underwater.</p>
<p><em>This blog is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the <a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2013/11/fact-sheet-us-department-commerce-open-business-agenda">Open for Business Agenda</a>. This month’s focus is <a href="//www.commerce.gov/categories/environment">Environment</a></em>.</p>
Thu, 08 Dec 2016 08:49:43 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/understanding-ocean-noise-and-how-it-affects-marine-life-join-live-redditMBDA Invests in the Growth and Success of America’s Entrepreneurs https://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/mbda-invests-growth-and-success-americas-entrepreneurs
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/spp_takes_selfie_w_mbda_employees.jpg?itok=vEZDzsug" width="200" height="200" alt="Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker with MBDA Employees in New Orleans" title="Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker with MBDA Employees in New Orleans" /></span>
<p>They’re the backbone of the U.S. economy and an elite group of risk takers, innovators, and job creators. Entrepreneurs are the key drivers of the U.S. economy, particularly minority business enterprises (MBEs). According to the U.S. Census Survey of Business Owners, there are 8 million MBEs in the U.S. who generate total gross revenues exceeding $1.4 trillion. These numbers reflect a 38 percent increase between 2007 and 2012.</p>
<p>To ensure this growth trend continues well into the future, communities and federal agencies, must continue to invest their resources in the training and development of new and established entrepreneurs. The Minority Business Development Agency has long been a champion for supporting and developing minority entrepreneurs. In addition to funding a nationwide network of MBDA Business Centers, MBDA and its partners routinely provide free webinars, business articles/blogs and online training resources. These resources are designed to inform, engage, and empower minority entrepreneurs for success and address the specific challenges they often face in global and domestic markets.</p>
<p>Entrepreneurs can visit <a href="http://www.mbda.gov/webinars">www.mbda.gov/webinars</a>, to view past webinars and download presentation slides, on a variety of business topics such as exporting, inclusive innovation, intellectual property and access to capital. They can access the information online from wherever they are and ask questions during the live webinars. The sessions also provide attendees with opportunities to connect to fellow entrepreneurs, influencers, business leaders and government officials from across the Federal Government - and the private sector.</p>
<p>MBDA recently co-hosted a webinar with Walker’s Legacy and the National Women's Business Council to discuss the newly released research report, <a href="https://www.nwbc.gov/research/research-black-women-entrepreneurs-past-and-present-conditions-black-womens-business" target="_blank">Black Women Entrepreneurs: Past and Present Conditions of Black Women’s Business Ownership</a>. The report, commissioned by the National Women’s Business Council and The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, and prepared by Walker’s Legacy, explores the challenges and opportunities facing black women entrepreneurs. According to the report, as of 2012, Black women entrepreneurs owned approximately 1.5 million businesses across the U.S. and composed almost 58.9 percent of all Black business owners. Currently, African- American and Hispanic women make up the fastest growing segments of entrepreneurs in the nation.</p>
<p>In addition to the Agency’s online resources, MBDA’s national network of business centers also provide technical expertise to entrepreneurs on accessing contracts and markets, strategic business consulting and global business development services. Several centers also host community workshops and seminars to help MBEs elevate their businesses to the next level.</p>
<p>For more information on upcoming webinars, training resources and the MBDA Business Center Network, visit <a href="http://www.mbda.gov/">MBDA.gov</a>. </p>
<p><em>This blog is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the</em> <em><a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2013/11/fact-sheet-us-department-commerce-open-business-agenda">Open for Business Agenda</a>. This month’s focus is</em> <em>on <a href="//www.commerce.gov/skills-for-business">Skills for Business.</a></em></p>
Wed, 07 Dec 2016 13:57:27 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/mbda-invests-growth-and-success-americas-entrepreneursNOAA Submarine Dive Commemorates 75th Anniversary of Attack on Pearl Harborhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/noaa-submarine-dive-commemorates-75th-anniversary-attack-pearl-harbor
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/pearlharbor.jpg?itok=NtIq6YKY" width="200" height="200" alt="The Japanese mini submarine HA-19 (similar to the mini sub sunk by the USS Ward), which washed ashore on December 8, 1941. " title="The Japanese mini submarine HA-19 (similar to the mini sub sunk by the USS Ward), which washed ashore on December 8, 1941. " /></span>
<p>Today marks the 75<sup>th </sup>anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. To commemorate the anniversary of this historic event, NOAA is diving live on the wrecks of two Japanese mini submarines, the first of which was sunk by the USS <em>Ward</em> prior to the attack.</p>
<p>The dives are <a href="http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/%20media/exstream/exstream.html">being livestreamed</a> by a team of maritime archaeologists and scientists from NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. A remotely operated vehicle deployed off of the NOAA Ship <a href="http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/welcome.html"><em>Okeanos Explorer</em></a> will send back images of the wreck site. The livestream begins at 6:30 a.m. HST (8:30 a.m. PST, 11:30 a.m. EST) at <a href="http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/media/exstream/exstream.html">http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/<br />
media/exstream/exstream.html</a>. This is the first time the public will be able to view live underwater exploration of the submarines in real time.</p>
<p>James Delgado, director of maritime heritage, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Frank Cantelas, marine archaeologist, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research are on board, describing the exploration.</p>
<p>"Until now, only a handful of explorers and scientists have seen these relics of the war in the deep sea," notes James Delgado, director of maritime heritage at the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “But thanks to technology, anyone and everyone can now dive with us in the first live exploration of the 'midget' submarines that represent the beginning of the war in the Pacific."</p>
<p>On the morning of December 7, 1941, U.S. naval vessels and aircraft on patrol outside Pearl Harbor spotted a partially submerged submarine trying to enter the harbor, but alerts were not immediately sent. Ninety minutes before Pearl Harbor was bombed by air, the destroyer USS <em>Ward</em> fired on the mini submarine, sinking the sub. The event marks the first U.S. shots fired and the country's entry into World War II in the Pacific. The NOAA team will dive on the wreck of this submarine.</p>
<p>The second submarine to be explored during the dive disappeared on the morning of December 7, 1941. It was discovered in shallow waters in 1951, raised by the U.S. Navy, and taken out to sea to be dumped in deeper water. In 1992, the University of Hawaiʻi's Undersea Research Laboratory rediscovered it. It has been periodically visited by the university's submersibles, the last time in 2013. </p>
<p><em>This blog is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the <a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2013/11/fact-sheet-us-department-commerce-open-business-agenda">Open for Business Agenda</a>. This month’s focus is <a href="//www.commerce.gov/categories/environment">Environment</a>.</em></p>
Wed, 07 Dec 2016 11:33:27 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/noaa-submarine-dive-commemorates-75th-anniversary-attack-pearl-harborEstablishing Domestic Work as a Respected Profession through Workforce Developmenthttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/establishing-domestic-work-respected-profession-through-workforce-development
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/ctwpnyblog.jpg?itok=sMn_TjmK" width="200" height="200" alt="Mariana Viturro, Deputy Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance." title="Mariana Viturro, Deputy Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance" /></span>
<p><em>Guest blog post by Mariana Viturro, Deputy Director of the <a href="https://www.domesticworkers.org/">National Domestic Workers Alliance</a></em></p>
<p>Domestic workers — nannies, care workers and housekeepers — support families in providing the most basic physical, emotional, and social care needs for their children, elders, and home. They are overwhelmingly women, and predominantly women of color and immigrants, many of whom are undocumented. Despite being critical to the U.S. economy and families, the workforce is among the lowest paid, undervalued, and least supported.</p>
<p>With 10,000 people turning 65 every day in the United States and the overwhelming preference of seniors to age in the home, there will be an increasing demand for care and the domestic workforce. Like many other service jobs, they cannot be outsourced or automated. The projected growth of the domestic work labor force means that it is critical that we support these workers, not by training them out of the sector, but by making their jobs quality jobs.</p>
<p>Our workforce development program seeks to establish domestic work as a respected profession with the dignity, respect and compensation it deserves. To this end, in collaboration with the <a href="http://www.aspenwsi.org/communities-that-work/overview/">Communities that Work Partnership</a>, we developed a new framework, a career lattice, which unlike a career ladder, includes vertical and horizontal landing points. We also examine how items such childcare and other secondary items could impact job training.</p>
<p>Our training program promotes ongoing professional development within the sector itself and promotes career tracks and specialties within each domestic work field that are reflective of the best practices of care, needs of employers, and the career goals of domestic workers themselves. The training equips domestic workers with the competencies needed to advance along this career lattice to increase earning potential and navigate a growing job market.</p>
<p>A workforce development training program, even with the best model and approach, is not enough to raise the standards of the work. As we provide the necessary training to domestic workers, we also need to transform the overall economic development system to uphold a caring economy and fundamentally value care work.</p>
<p>Training is a critical ingredient and intimately tied to improving job quality and conditions, but it is just one intervention in a multi-pronged strategy. We need legislative campaigns to win inclusion and expand labor protections and regulation for domestic work, culture change strategies to shift social norms on the value for the work, and leadership development and empowerment of domestic workers to be agents of this change.</p>
<p><em>This guest blog is a part of the <a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2016/11/us-department-commerce-and-aspen-institute-playbook-will-support-local">CTWP</a> series celebrating collaboration across seven U.S. communities. This blog also is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the</em> <em><a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2013/11/fact-sheet-us-department-commerce-open-business-agenda">Open for Business Agenda</a>. This month’s focus is</em> <em>on <a href="//www.commerce.gov/skills-for-business">Skills for Business.</a></em></p>
Tue, 06 Dec 2016 14:44:42 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/establishing-domestic-work-respected-profession-through-workforce-developmentSkills for Business: Our Shared Missionhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/skills-business-our-shared-mission
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/penny_learning_code_4.jpg?itok=IPIg6nbb" width="200" height="200" alt="Secretary Pritzker explores Commerce data in a coding course at Galvanize" title="Secretary Pritzker explores Commerce data in a coding course at Galvanize" /></span>
<p><a href="https://medium.com/@PennyPritzker/skills-for-business-our-shared-mission-7622eb523610#.h1wsg14k0"><em>Originally posted on Secretary Pritzker's Medium page</em></a></p>
<p>In my 27 years as a business leader and entrepreneur, I have learned that building a great team is the cornerstone to any success. Finding the right talent is critical, but it can be complicated and challenging.</p>
<p>Under President Barack Obama’s leadership, our country has seen the longest streak of job creation on record — 80 months and counting. Our economy has added 15.3 million jobs since early 2010, and the unemployment rate has dropped from 10.0% in August 2009 to 5.0% today.</p>
<p>Despite this progress, more and more employers have told me they cannot find the skilled workers to grow their business — anecdotes echoed by employer surveys and the Federal Reserve. Federal statistics show job openings are at the highest levels of the last 15 years, and the average time to fill a job has doubled since the recession. The recent rise in labor force participation reflects some hidden slack in our labor market as more people are encouraged to look for work again.</p>
<p>When I became the Secretary of Commerce three years ago, I immediately recognized that, in order to carry out the Department of Commerce’s mission of creating the conditions for economic growth, we needed to play an active role in 21st century skills development.</p>
<p>Through our “Skills for Business” agenda, we have focused on breaking down silos between business, academia, civil society, and government and ensuring that employers have a seat at the table to define precisely what they are looking for in prospective employees. We partner with employers to implement effective training models, like apprenticeship programs, and we work with educators and trainers to ensure they provide in-demand skills.</p>
<p>Nearly all of Commerce’s twelve bureaus have programs and expertise relating to talent development. Our Economic Development Administration works with local communities to develop robust talent pipelines, and our National Institute of Standards and Technology helps employers and educators close the skills gap in growing sectors like advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity. On the data front, labor market information and data products from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis offer tools to explore critical supply and demand questions.</p>
<p>Over these last three years, our Skills for Business efforts have utilized these rich assets to create new collaborations and achieve outcomes that have established a foundation for the Department to build on. Under the leadership of the Economic Development Administration (EDA), our Skills for Business team will carry the torch into the next Administration, harnessing our workforce development strengths across the Department.</p>
<p><em>—Penny Pritzker, U.S. Secretary of Commerce</em></p>
<hr />
<h2><em>Skills for Business: History and Key Accomplishments</em></h2>
<h3>Job-Driven Training Principles</h3>
<p>In January 2014, President Obama set the stage for needed policy change by signing the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/01/30/presidential-memorandum-job-driven-training-workers">Presidential Memorandum on Job-Driven Training for Workers</a>, calling for an action plan within 180 days to make federal employment and training programs more job-driven. In July 2014, with significant input and participation from Commerce, the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/07/22/fact-sheet-ready-work-glance-job-driven-training-and-american-opportunit">Administration released a plan</a> to expand the number of pathways for Americans to gain the skills they need to access better, higher-paying jobs, by narrowing in on key job-driven training principles to guide federal investments in workforce training. Principles include:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>engaging employers up front to determine local hiring needs,</strong></li>
<li><strong>leveraging regional partnerships to engage public and private entities,</strong></li>
<li><strong>emphasizing earn and learn models like apprenticeship,</strong></li>
<li><strong>measuring outcomes,</strong></li>
<li><strong>making better use of labor market data, and</strong></li>
<li><strong>breaking down barriers to training and employment.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>To date, agencies across the Administration have awarded more than $1.5 billion through more than 15 competitive job-training grant programs adhering to the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/07/22/fact-sheet-ready-work-glance-job-driven-training-and-american-opportunit">Job-Driven Training Principles</a>. Commerce has adopted the Job-Driven Training Principles in a variety of ways to guide our Skills for Business efforts:</p>
<h3>Strengthening Regional Competitiveness through Job-Driven Workforce Development</h3>
<p>Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) has embraced the Department’s strategic focus on skills development because workforce training is critical to regional economic development.</p>
<p>Specifically, EDA emphasized the importance of “Job-Driven Training” in its <a href="https://www.eda.gov/ceds/">Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS) Content Guidelines</a> to better align workforce and economic development planning and made “Job-Driven Skills Development” a National Strategic Priority for its economic development grant programs. The CEDS Content Guidelines now encourage communities to create strategic plans that align with the region’s education and workforce development plans, focusing on business-led training, promotion of career pathways in regional growth sectors and consideration of work-based learning opportunities.</p>
<p>In the last two fiscal years, EDA awarded more than $89 million in grants to support workforce training and the Skills for Business initiative in communities across the country.</p>
<p>EDA also launched the <a href="http://www.aspenwsi.org/communities-that-work/overview/">Communities that Work Partnership</a>, a joint effort with the Aspen Institute that is accelerating industry-led workforce partnerships in seven regional economies. Lessons learned will be shared widely through EDA’s network of community stakeholders, reinforcing EDA’s growing and important role in marrying workforce and economic development.</p>
<h3>Growing the Manufacturing Sector and Career Paths</h3>
<p>The National Institute for Standards and Technology’s (NIST) <a href="https://www.nist.gov/mep">Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers</a> help to build the workforce development ecosystem for manufacturing.</p>
<p>MEP Centers are increasingly engaged in a wide variety of activities to help small and medium manufacturers develop a skilled workforce through: targeting career and technical education students for manufacturing occupations; acting as a workforce intermediary connecting manufacturers to community colleges and education providers for customized training programs; linking manufacturers to apprenticeships and Workforce Investment Board services; and providing small manufacturers with talent planning services to match growth plans.</p>
<p>In addition, MEP has taken advantage of Skills for Business partnerships with the Departments of Labor and Education to expand National <a href="http://www.mfgday.com/">Manufacturing Day</a>’s scope to spotlight the variety of training and education options, including apprenticeships, available for students to prepare for 21st century, high-tech manufacturing jobs. The increased exposure to advanced manufacturing career paths helps students, parents, guidance counselors and teachers understand the economic potential these careers hold. Manufacturing Day has grown from 240 events with 3,000 participants in 2012 to almost 3,000 events with half a million participants in 2016.</p>
<h3>Increasing Foreign Direct Investment and Doubling Apprenticeships</h3>
<p>Commerce’s <a href="https://www.selectusa.gov/">SelectUSA </a>was created at the federal level to showcase the United States as the world’s premier business location and to provide prospective investors with easy access to federal-level programs and services related to business investment.</p>
<p>The quality of our workforce is one of the most important reasons why businesses choose to locate here. To foster foreign direct investment (FDI) and help grow the economy, SelectUSA is an active partner in Skills for Business to highlight the competitiveness of the U.S. workforce and to inform companies looking to locate in the U.S. about available skills training programs, especially apprenticeships.</p>
<p>To support President Obama’s goal to double apprenticeships by 2019, the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Labor, and Education entered into separate agreements with the governments of Germany and Switzerland, countries that lead in the field of apprenticeships and technical training, to expand their apprenticeship models in the U.S. and to share best practices. Expanding apprenticeships in the United States benefits our companies and workers and makes the U.S. market more attractive for FDI.</p>
<p>Through the Skills for Business Initiative, Commerce is encouraging German and Swiss businesses operating in the U.S. to migrate their home market apprenticeship programs to the U.S., to participate in Manufacturing Day, and to outreach to U.S. companies that may be less familiar with the apprenticeship model.</p>
<h3>Producing and Disseminating Labor Market Data, Tools and Research</h3>
<p>Commerce’s data and research spotlight local economic conditions and fill key gaps in our basic understanding of the labor market. In alignment with the goals of Skills for Business, the Department has also launched a number of new data and research initiatives.</p>
<p>Recognizing there was no solid data on the return on investment for employers in the U.S. that use registered apprenticeship, the Department launched the first-ever effort to document the return on investment for U.S. employers using the work/learn model. In a creative public-private initiative, The Joyce Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation are providing support to a partnership between Case Western Reserve University and Commerce’s Economics and Statistics Administration to conduct an in-depth research study across multiple sectors.</p>
<p>With the rise of the gig economy, policy interest in our nation’s contingent, on-demand, or 1099 workforce has grown exponentially. <a href="https://krueger.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/akrueger/files/katz_krueger_cws_-_march_29_2016.pdf">One outside estimate</a> suggests that these jobs number 23 million, or 15.8 percent of the employed labor force, but much uncertainty remains around these numbers and about the right approach to measuring “work” when the on-demand economy is changing our fundamental understanding of work.</p>
<p>The Census Bureau is undertaking new research which analyzes 1099 data to better understand and size non-traditional employment and investigate questions about whether 1099 workers are exclusively self-employed or seeking supplemental income, among other questions raised in the context of the “future of work.”</p>
<h3>Advocating for Cybersecurity Workforce Standards and Training in an Increasingly Digital Economy</h3>
<p>NIST’s National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), a partnership between government, academia, and the private sector focused on cybersecurity education and workforce development, is an important tool in our Skills for Business toolkit.</p>
<p>Cybersecurity careers are among the most essential jobs to our digital economy and in the U.S. alone there are more than 200,000 open cybersecurity positions. Through an exciting first-time $1 million grant program, NICE is directly investing in strengthening regional talent pipelines by supporting partnerships between employers, education, workforce, economic development and non-profit institutions committed to developing cybersecurity training aligned with employer needs. NICE is committed to increase the pipeline of students pursuing cybersecurity careers and to upskill more Americans to move into middle class jobs in cybersecurity.</p>
<p>But cybersecurity is just one element of the digital economy. For the United States to remain globally competitive, we need to build a digital economy that works for everyone, ensuring that individuals have access to the Internet and that our workers have the skills needed to succeed in the new positions and industries.</p>
<p>In the U.S., more than 25% of households still do not have broadband access according to Commerce’s <a href="https://www.ntia.doc.gov/home">National Telecommunications and Information Administration</a>. Lack of access presents a serious impediment to students who need to do homework or jobseekers looking to find a job.</p>
<p>Along with the need for ubiquitous broadband access, the digital economy accentuates the dynamics of change — from automation to digitization to artificial intelligence — that are creating new jobs, changing others, and leading some to disappear.</p>
<p>In the face of the changing nature of work, globalization and technological advances, employers’ direct engagement with education and workforce systems to define their demand needs is even more essential as occupations rapidly evolve and career paths will need on and off ramps for continual skill building.</p>
<p><em>For more details and updates on these programs, please visit: <a href="//www.commerce.gov/skills-for-business">www.commerce.gov/skills-for-business</a></em></p>
Tue, 06 Dec 2016 12:28:21 -0500abowman@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/skills-business-our-shared-missionFirst Above-Normal Atlantic Hurricane Season Since 2012 Produced Five U.S. Storms Making Landfallhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/first-above-normal-atlantic-hurricane-season-2012-produced-five-us-storms-making
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/hurricaneatlantic.jpeg?itok=QpvYSCIV" width="200" height="200" alt="NOAA Infographic on the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season" title="NOAA Infographic on the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season" /></span>
<p>As the Atlantic, eastern Pacific and central Pacific 2016 hurricane seasons have come to a close, NOAA scientists have said that all three regions saw above-normal seasons.</p>
<p>For the Atlantic, this was the first above-normal season since 2012. The Atlantic saw 15 named storms during 2016, including 7 hurricanes (Alex, Earl, Gaston, Hermine, Matthew, Nicole, and Otto), 3 of which were major hurricanes (Gaston, Matthew and Nicole). NOAA’s updated hurricane season outlook in August called for 12 to 17 named storms, including 5 to 8 hurricanes, with 2 to 4 of those predicted to become major hurricanes.</p>
<p>Five named storms made landfall in the United States during 2016, the most since 2008 when six storms struck. Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Matthew struck South Carolina. Tropical Storms Colin and Julia, as well as Hurricane Hermine, made landfall in Florida. Hermine was the first hurricane to make landfall in Florida since Wilma in 2005.</p>
<p>Several Atlantic storms made landfall outside of the United States during 2016: Tropical Storm Danielle in Mexico, Hurricane Earl in Belize, Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, Cuba, and the Bahamas, and Hurricane Otto in Nicaragua.</p>
<p>The strongest and longest-lived storm of the season was Matthew, which reached maximum sustained surface winds of 160 miles per hour and lasted as a major hurricane for eight days from Sept. 30 to Oct. 7. Matthew was the first category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic basin since Felix in 2007.</p>
<p>Matthew intensified into a major hurricane on Sept. 30 over the Caribbean Sea, making it the first major hurricane in that region since Poloma in 2008. It made landfall as a category 4 major hurricane in Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas, causing extensive damage and loss of life. It then made landfall on Oct. 8 as a category 1 hurricane in the U.S. near McClellanville, South Carolina.</p>
<p>Matthew caused storm surge and beach erosion from Florida through North Carolina, and produced more than 10 inches of rain resulting in extensive freshwater flooding over much of the eastern Carolinas. The storm was responsible for the greatest U.S. loss of life due to inland flooding from a tropical system since torrential rains from Hurricane Floyd caused widespread and historic flooding in eastern North Carolina in 1999.</p>
<p>“The strength of Hurricane Matthew, as well as the increased number of U.S. landfalling storms this season, were linked to large areas of exceptionally weak vertical wind shear that resulted from a persistent ridge of high pressure in the middle and upper atmosphere over Caribbean Sea and the western Atlantic Ocean,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “These conditions, along with very warm Caribbean waters, helped fuel Matthew’s rapid strengthening.”</p>
<p><strong>Eastern and central Pacific Hurricane Seasons</strong></p>
<p>The eastern Pacific hurricane basin, which covers the eastern Pacific Ocean east of 140 degrees West, produced 20 named storms during 2016, including 10 hurricanes of which 4 became major hurricanes. July through September was the most active three-month period on record for this basin. NOAA’s eastern Pacific hurricane season outlook called for 13 to 20 named storms, including 6 to 11 hurricanes, 3 to 6 of which were expected to become major hurricanes.</p>
<p>The central Pacific hurricane basin covers the Pacific Ocean west of 140 degrees West to the International Date Line. This basin saw seven tropical cyclones (includes tropical depressions and named storms) during 2016. All seven became named storms, and included three hurricanes of which two were major hurricanes. Tropical Storm Darby made landfall on the Big Island of Hawaii, marking the first time in recorded history that two storms in three years struck the Big Island (Darby in 2016 and Iselle in 2014). NOAA’s central Pacific hurricane season outlook called for 4 to 7 tropical cyclones. That outlook does not predict specific ranges of named storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes.</p>
<p><em>This blog is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the <a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2013/11/fact-sheet-us-department-commerce-open-business-agenda">Open for Business Agenda</a>. This month’s focus is <a href="//www.commerce.gov/categories/environment">Environment</a>.</em></p>
Tue, 06 Dec 2016 11:04:55 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/first-above-normal-atlantic-hurricane-season-2012-produced-five-us-storms-makingPatents for Humanity Award Recipients Honored for Work in Providing Global Disease Health Care Solutionshttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/patents-humanity-award-recipients-honored-work-providing-global-disease-health
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/patentshumanity2.jpg?itok=AgK8WOGC" width="200" height="200" alt="GestVision, Inc. receives Patents for Humanity Award for a quick diagnostic test for preeclampsia. Every year, approximately 63,000 women die from preeclampsia (PE), a life-threatening pregnancy complication. " title="GestVision, Inc. receives Patents for Humanity Award for a quick diagnostic test for preeclampsia. Every year, approximately 63,000 women die from preeclampsia (PE), a life-threatening pregnancy complication. " /></span>
<p>This year’s winners of the Patents for Humanity Award found new and innovative ways to administer and provide health care solutions in some of the most disadvantaged and underserved regions of the world. Last month, four entities – a university, a federal agency, a business and a nonprofit– were recognized at the National Press Club for their work in tackling the global burden of disease and changing the world for the better.</p>
<p>Winners included <strong>Case Western Reserve University</strong> for a low-cost malaria detection device, the <strong>U.S. Food and Drug Administration</strong> for an improved meningitis vaccine, <strong>GestVision, Inc.</strong> for a quick diagnostic test for preeclampsia, and <strong>Global Good Fund at Intellectual Ventures</strong> for a cooler which can preserve vaccines for over a month with no outside power source. <a href="http://1.usa.gov/1NpTsjG">Read more about each of the award recipients.</a></p>
<p>Launched by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in February 2012 as part of an Obama administration initiative, the Patents for Humanity program promotes game-changing innovations that solve long-standing development challenges. The award is the USPTO’s top honor for recognizing patent owners and licensees who use game-changing technology to meet global humanitarian challenges. In addition to being recognized for their work, winners also receive accelerated processing of select matters at the USPTO.</p>
<p>Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro spoke at the awards ceremony, stating: “There is no greater effort that the federal government can be involved in than the opportunity to save lives. Borders are irrelevant to disease, and projects like these help get a discovery to market where it can make a difference.”</p>
<p>“Altogether the work of our Patents for Humanity applicants and awardees proves that great things that can be accomplished when intellectual property rights and innovation work together to solve problems of a truly global scope, ” said Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Russ Slifer, who delivered remarks at the ceremony. “In addition to the very tangible benefits their inventions will deliver, they will also inspire others to bring the power of innovation to bear on more of the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges.” <a href="https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/remarks-deputy-director-russ-slifer-patents-humanity-awards-ceremony">Read Deputy Director Slifer’s full remarks</a>.</p>
<p>Programs like Patents for Humanity help scale and incentivize innovation by spurring more game-changing work by the innovation community. The winners’ technologies and solutions show tomorrow’s scientists and engineers how the power of innovation can change the world for the better.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/uspto.gov/photos/?ref=page_internal">See a Facebook album of photos from the ceremony</a>.</p>
<p><em>This blog is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the</em> <em><a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2013/11/fact-sheet-us-department-commerce-open-business-agenda">Open for Business Agenda</a>. This month’s focus is</em> <em>on <a href="//www.commerce.gov/skills-for-business">Skills for Business.</a></em></p>
Mon, 05 Dec 2016 11:38:53 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/patents-humanity-award-recipients-honored-work-providing-global-disease-healthSan Antonio’s Economic Competitiveness Enhanced by Job Training, Education Effortshttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/san-antonios-economic-competitiveness-enhanced-job-training-education-efforts
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/sanantonio.jpg?itok=ihubVqzn" width="200" height="200" alt="On November 2, 2016, the city of San Antonio, Texas community leaders and elected officials celebrated the grand opening of the 56,000-square-foot Eastside Education &amp;amp; Training Center (EETC). " title="On November 2, 2016, the city of San Antonio, Texas community leaders and elected officials celebrated the grand opening of the 56,000-square-foot Eastside Education &amp;amp; Training Center (EETC). " /></span>
<p><em>Guest blog post by Adrian Perez, Assistant to the Director, <a href="http://www.sanantonio.gov/EDD">City of San Antonio Economic Development Department</a></em></p>
<p>On November 2, 2016, the city of San Antonio, Texas community leaders and elected officials celebrated the grand opening of the 56,000-square-foot Eastside Education &amp; Training Center (EETC). The facility, which occupies the former Pfeiffer Elementary School, is a one-stop education and workforce development center designed for the Eastside community in partnership with Alamo Colleges and San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD). The EETC is modeled after Alamo Colleges’ highly successful Westside Education &amp; Training Center.</p>
<p>The city identified and served as a co-applicant with Alamo Colleges and SAISD to secure a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to renovate the facility. The San Antonio’s Fiscal Year 2017 General Fund budget allocated $100,000 to open and operate the EETC for the next two years.</p>
<p>In July 2015, the city partnered with Alamo Colleges and other organizations to launch the Promise Zone to Work initiative to prepare Eastside residents for 21<sup>st</sup> century job opportunities by providing free job training classes in high-demand occupations. To-date, 325 residents have received career certificates in nursing, IT, welding, and heavy equipment operation, among other areas.</p>
<p>The EETC will provide residents with direct access to workforce, education and supportive services that create pathways to quality jobs and/or high education. To sustain these efforts, the city of San Antonio partnered with SAISD to provide free job training classes, GED preparation, job placement, financial counseling, child care and a kitchen incubator in one location.</p>
<p>The City of San Antonio has a great history of collaboration with Alamo Colleges, particularly in the area of workforce development. The nationally recognized Alamo Academies program provides San Antonio’s youth with tuition-free career pathways into critical demand technical STEM occupations.</p>
<p>And that is what it is all about — growing as a region.</p>
<p>On September 9, 2016, also thanks to Economic Development Administration funding, the Alamo Colleges–Central Texas Technology Center in New Braunfels held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open its recently completed expansion. Following the ribbon-cutting, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Jay Williams and San Antonio City Councilman Joe Krier announced that the Central Texas region, including San Antonio, will host the 7th Americas Competitiveness Exchange on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ACE) in April 2017.</p>
<p>ACE is a regional program under the framework of the Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC) that seeks to facilitate long-term partnerships around value-added innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities of collaboration among countries of the Western Hemisphere and beyond.</p>
<p>San Antonio won the bid to host the next ACE together with Central Texas partners Austin, College Station, San Marcos, New Braunfels and Fredericksburg, and will kick off the weeklong exchange on April 2, 2017 to welcome 50 high-level decision-makers from across the globe to exchange ideas and showcase the economic anchors that make Central Texas unique.</p>
<p><em>To view the official announcement, visit <a href="https://www.sanantonio.gov/Commpa/News/ArtMID/1970/ArticleID/9019/Opening-of-Eastside-Education-Training-Center-Celebrated-with-Ribbon-cutting">https://www.sanantonio.gov/Commpa/News/ArtMID/1970/ArticleID/9019/Opening-of-Eastside-Education-Training-Center-Celebrated-with-Ribbon-cutting</a>. To learn more about the city of San Antonio and its various initiatives and programs, visit <a href="http://www.sanantonio.gov/">www.sanantonio.gov</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>This blog is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the</em> <em><a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2013/11/fact-sheet-us-department-commerce-open-business-agenda">Open for Business Agenda</a>. This month’s focus is</em> <em>on <a href="//www.commerce.gov/skills-for-business">Skills for Business.</a></em></p>
<p> </p>
Mon, 05 Dec 2016 11:01:53 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/san-antonios-economic-competitiveness-enhanced-job-training-education-effortsTeaming Up to Help our Workforce Succeedhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/teaming-help-our-workforce-succeed
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/sppperez.jpg?itok=NaiKSI4n" width="200" height="200" alt="Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker tour the cyber security training center at Montgomery College in Maryland on Dec. 10, 2014. " title="Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker tour the cyber security training center at Montgomery College in Maryland on Dec. 10, 2014." /></span>
<p><em>Blog post by U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez</em></p>
<p>The U.S. Departments of Commerce and Labor might seem like odd bedfellows: one serves as the voice of business in government, and the other as the voice of the American worker. However, as the Secretaries of those two federal agencies for nearly four years, we have found common ground on a number of issues, none more important than ensuring every American has the skills needed to succeed in the 21<sup>st</sup> century economy. </p>
<p>In fact, supporting our workers through job-driven training has been a priority of our entire Administration over the last eight years. One way we have sought to ensure that American workers can thrive in in-demand jobs is by promoting apprenticeships as a pathway to employment.</p>
<p>In his 2014 State of the Union Address, President Obama set the goal of doubling the number of apprenticeships in the U.S. to 750,000 by the end of 2018. Since then, we have solicited commitments from companies to start or expand apprenticeships across a range of industries, from information technology and insurance to health care and advanced manufacturing.</p>
<p>Why? Apprenticeships are one of the most effective ways for young people and employees to simultaneously work and learn while developing skills that can launch a career. Research shows that 91 percent of those who complete an apprenticeship program find employment, and that their average wages are more than $60,000 per year. With more than half a million active apprentices nationwide, we are on track to meet President Obama’s challenge.</p>
<p><a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2016/11/us-department-commerce-report-shows-business-case-apprenticeships">New research</a> recently released by the U.S. Department of Commerce makes an even more compelling case for apprenticeships. The report examines 13 companies and intermediaries that are utilizing apprenticeships, from contract precision manufacturer Oberg Industries in Freeport, Pennsylvania to Blue Cross Blue Shield in South Carolina to CVS Health across multiple states. Not only did these companies use apprenticeships to fill jobs that had remained empty, they developed an even more productive and flexible workforce, reduced employee turnover, and lowered recruiting costs. The companies built a workforce ready to embrace innovation that tomorrow’s technological advances will bring. </p>
<p>Apprenticeships not only fill jobs, but also help companies develop talent to achieve larger strategic objectives. We see this firsthand with foreign multinational companies making new investments across the United States. Take Germany and Switzerland, the two countries with whom we have signed apprenticeship joint declarations to promote apprenticeships. Together, German and Swiss multinationals support more than one million jobs in the United States. Many of their leading companies, like Germany’s Dr. Schneider Automotive Systems and Switzerland’s Zurich Insurance Group, are creating new apprenticeship programs, which strengthen their workforces and deepen their ties to their local U.S. communities. </p>
<p>In today’s global economy, capital is more mobile than ever. Companies can choose to invest anywhere. And every country is competing in a global race to attract investment. In order to thrive in the 21<sup>st</sup> century economy, the United States must have a 21<sup>st</sup> century workforce.</p>
<p>We know apprenticeships are crucial to creating economic growth in our communities, cities, and country. If we want our companies and workers to succeed, the United States must continue to create and diversify apprenticeship opportunities. We hope those who lead the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor in the next Administration will continue to closely coordinate and ensure apprenticeships remain at the top of the agenda.</p>
<p><em>Penny Pritzker is the 38<sup>th</sup> United States Secretary of Commerce. Tom Perez is the 26<sup>th</sup> United States Secretary of Labor.</em></p>
<p><em>This blog is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the</em> <em><a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2013/11/fact-sheet-us-department-commerce-open-business-agenda">Open for Business Agenda</a>. This month’s focus is</em> <em>on <a href="//www.commerce.gov/skills-for-business">Skills for Business.</a></em></p>
Mon, 05 Dec 2016 10:04:15 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/teaming-help-our-workforce-succeedPromoting Resilient Coral Reefs in a Changing Climatehttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/promoting-resilient-coral-reefs-changing-climate
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/corals.jpeg?itok=qK92D0Mq" width="200" height="200" alt="A pink whipray glides over colonies of the branching coral Stylophora at Swains Island, National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. " title="A pink whipray glides over colonies of the branching coral Stylophora at Swains Island, National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. " /></span>
<p><em>Guest blog post by <a href="http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/profiles/dec13/koss.html">Jenn Koss, Director of NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program</a></em></p>
<p>The third and longest global coral bleaching event on record started in 2014 and continues to damage reefs around the globe. While it’s true coral reef ecosystems have been knocked down, they have certainly not been knocked out. It is not too late to conserve coral reef ecosystems.</p>
<p>Healthy coral reefs are one of the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth. At <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/" target="_blank">NOAA</a>, it’s <a href="http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/corals-week/welcome.html" target="_blank">Corals Week</a> — a week in which we celebrate these remarkable ecosystems.</p>
<p>Covering only one percent of the planet, they are the home to 25 percent of marine species and upwards of 40 million people rely on coral reefs for the fish and shellfish they eat. They provide billions of dollars in other economic and environmental services, such coastal protection, tourism and pharmaceuticals.</p>
<p>NOAA protects both deep and shallow corals in the Atlantic and Pacific. This year alone saw the expansion of <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/news/national-monument-in-hawaii-becomes-worlds-largest-marine-protected-area" target="_blank">Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument</a> — more than doubling in size — and the creation of <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/news/first-marine-national-monument-created-in-atlantic" target="_blank">Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument</a>.</p>
<p>Coral reefs face serious threats, mainly from the effects of overfishing, pollution from the land, and the twin insults of global climate change — warming and increasingly acidic ocean waters — making this undoubtedly the greatest global threat. However, NOAA’s <a href="http://www.coralreef.noaa.gov/" target="_blank">Coral Reef Conservation Program</a> has boots on the ground and fins in the water to help communities manage coral reef ecosystems for resilience.</p>
<p>A resilient coral reef is one that can either resist a large-scale stressful event, such as bleaching, or recover from it. Efforts to promote reef resilience are yielding powerful results.</p>
<p>In Maui, the community came together to protect herbivorous fish that eat algae and control its growth on the reef. Now, several years later, algal cover is down, the numbers of fish are up, and the reef is making a comeback.</p>
<p>In Puerto Rico, more than 40 coffee farms are now part of a shade-grown coffee crop initiative that tackles the region’s sediment and agricultural runoff issues. Instead of growing coffee on bare hillsides, forests ideal for shade-grown coffee are being restored. NOAA also supports communities in American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands where they are planting rain gardens along the coasts and revegetating hillsides with native plants to reduce sediment and pollutants from reaching the sea.</p>
<p>Another NOAA-supported effort underway is growing individual corals in nurseries to restore damaged ecosystems. In the past, coral restoration took place in response to acute disturbances, such as a ship grounding or large storm. However, coral nurseries are increasingly used as a tool to address overall reef decline. In fact, roughly 30,000 coral fragments grown in coral nurseries in Florida, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico were transplanted to restore reefs in those regions over the past decade.</p>
<p>Coral reef ecosystems will change as a result of the pressures they are under, but nature perseveres. Efforts to move the needle of conservation in a positive direction will take creativity, commitment, endurance, dedication, and community engagement. The steps we take today to address the threats they face, restore habitat and further the science that fuels effective conservation, will ultimately give these amazing ecosystems a fighting chance. And that’s what gives me hope for coral reefs.</p>
<p><em>This blog is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the <a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2013/11/fact-sheet-us-department-commerce-open-business-agenda">Open for Business Agenda</a>. This month’s focus is <a href="//www.commerce.gov/categories/environment">Environment</a>.</em></p>
Fri, 02 Dec 2016 12:59:08 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/promoting-resilient-coral-reefs-changing-climateTraining Workers to Build Green Infrastructure in the District of Columbia and Maryland https://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/training-workers-build-green-infrastructure-district-columbia-and-maryland
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/metrowashgovernments.png?itok=4T84qBlp" width="200" height="200" alt="Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Graphic on Clean Water Infrastructure" title="Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Graphic on Clean Water Infrastructure" /></span>
<p><em>Guest blog post by Michelle Kokolis, Anacostia Executive Watershed Manager, </em><a href="https://www.mwcog.org/"><em>Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments</em></a></p>
<p>Stormwater runoff is becoming the primary source of new pollution entering the Washington, DC area rivers and streams. Without better control, sediments and the nutrients they carry could undo much of the water quality improvements from controlling combined sewer overflows, and cleaning up toxics in the Anacostia River. In response, <a>localities</a> are being held to <a>increasingly strong </a>discharge load limits, and over the next decade, are expected to spend upwards of $10 billion on stormwater management.</p>
<p>To meet these clean water needs, local governments and businesses are increasingly turning to green infrastructure, which provides widespread environmental benefits, creates local jobs, and stimulates the regional economy. However, to build and maintain what is essentially a new infrastructure of controls, the region will need a workforce with the proper training and credentialing, earning a living wage, to build, maintain, and monitor stormwater management projects. </p>
<p>How will we get the trained workers needed to fill these jobs?</p>
<p>The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) is working with the <a href="http://www.aspenwsi.org/communities-that-work/overview/">Communities that Work Partnership (CTWP)</a> to address this current and future skill and talent need. Through CTWP, COG is partnering with the Aspen Institute, Greater Washington Board of Trade, Prince George’s County Department of the Environment, and Anacostia Waterfront Trust. </p>
<p>This core project team is also collaborating with the District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment, DC Water, the Water Environment Federation, the Workforce Investment Council, Corvias Solutions, the Low Impact Development Center, Prince George’s Green, the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center, the Center for Watershed Protection, and others to meet this workforce challenge.</p>
<p>The team identified five key objectives: 1) Coordinate stormwater workforce credentialing and certification efforts; 2) Complete a labor market demand analysis; 3) Develop job descriptions/career ladders; 4) Increase the contractor/subcontractor supply, and 5) Provide a recruitment, training, and placement pipeline for workers.</p>
<p>Due to the unique needs in the <a>Anacostia River Watershe</a>, COG and the <a>CTWP </a>are focused on the District of Columbia, and Prince George’s and Montgomery counties in Maryland. The most notable progress has been made in the coordination of credentialing, certification, and training programs.</p>
<p>Workforce training providers identified a large unknown that prevent them from knowing when to increase training to stormwater and green infrastructure worker: when will workers be needed and what will the needed job proficiencies be? This will depend on the scope and schedule of stormwater project implementation. </p>
<p>The project team developed a scope of work for a study of both a labor market analysis and development of standardized job descriptions. The analysis will answer the questions regarding the magnitude, timing, and distribution needs of workers trained in the construction, installation, and maintenance of green infrastructure projects over the next 10 years by looking at public sector demands driven by the DC, Montgomery County and <a href="http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/water/stormwatermanagementprogram/pages/programs/waterprograms/sedimentandstormwater/storm_gen_permit.aspx">Prince George’s MS4 permits</a>, and private sector demands driven by development and re-development standards.</p>
<p>We look forward to seeing thousands more stormwater control projects in the ground served by a cadre of workers making living wages.</p>
<p><em>This guest blog is a part of the CTWP series celebrating collaboration across seven U.S. communities.</em></p>
<p><em>This blog also is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the</em> <em><a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2013/11/fact-sheet-us-department-commerce-open-business-agenda">Open for Business Agenda</a>. This month’s focus is</em> <em>on <a href="//www.commerce.gov/skills-for-business">Skills for Business.</a></em></p>
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Fri, 02 Dec 2016 11:23:40 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/training-workers-build-green-infrastructure-district-columbia-and-marylandUpSkill Houston: Strengthening our Residents, Key Industry Sectors and the Regional Economyhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/upskill-houston-strengthening-our-residents-key-industry-sectors-and-regional
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/houstonctwp.jpg?itok=7xrWJSup" width="200" height="200" alt="Peter Beard, Senior Vice President of Regional Workforce Development of Greater Houston Partnership" title="Peter Beard, Senior Vice President of Regional Workforce Development of Greater Houston Partnership" /></span>
<p><em>Guest blog post by <a href="https://www.houston.org/business/workforce.html">Peter Beard is Senior Vice President of Regional Workforce Development of Greater Houston Partnership</a></em></p>
<p><a href="http://www.upskillhouston.org/">UpSkill Houston</a> is honored to be a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce and Aspen Institute Communities that Work Partnership. The Houston region focuses on three areas: 1) creating a culture of employer leadership and responsibility; 2) prioritizing key occupations in sectors that drive and support drivers of Houston’s economy; and 3) aligning efforts by education and community organizations that develop the region’s talent pipelines.</p>
<p>Our region fosters and cultivates leadership to help ensure industry employers lead this work and define the needs, competencies and credentials for success in their respective fields.</p>
<p>For example, leadership from ExxonMobil, Shell, LyondellBasell, Chevron Phillips, Dow, and others focus on the long-term talent pipeline for petrochemical plants. Led by Bellows, Balfour Beatty, S&amp;B, Jacobs, Marek, and others, UpSkill Houston’s Construction sector is developing near- and long-term pipelines of qualified entry-level and incumbent craft professionals for the industry. Employer leadership noticeably engages partners and supports work that aligns with industry needs.</p>
<p>Additionally, our Petrochemical Manufacturing sector developed a strong business-led collaborative with members of East Harris County Manufacturers’ Association (EHCMA) and its industrial contractors.</p>
<p>Employer leadership is essential in prioritizing key occupations that maintain the competitiveness and health of their industry. By focusing on qualified technicians and technologists that are in demand, employer leadership helps education institutions and community organizations to improve the skills, capabilities and mindsets essential for success in high demand occupations.</p>
<p>Each industry sector focuses on priority pipelines — youth and young adults for petrochemical technologists (with associate’s degrees) and un- and under-employed young adults — for entry-level construction craft helpers.</p>
<p>With clarity of occupations and target populations, educational institutions and community organizations adapt their programs for priority occupations. The Petrochemical sector also introduced PetroChemWorks.com, a new career exploration website to inform students and job seekers about the industry and the education needed for a fulfilling career.</p>
<p>The construction sector worked with United Way of Greater Houston and Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions to develop scalable prototypes to attract, train, and place qualified and skilled entry-level construction workers—screening and assessing more than 300 individuals, interviewing almost 100 poten­tial candidates, and training and placing 40 individuals.</p>
<p>UpSkill Houston continues to strengthen these active sectors and apply and adapt learnings as we launch new sector-based efforts. Currently, our health care employers are identifying specific skills gap priorities. Business leaders and organizing structures are stepping up to guide this work and develop the collective partnership necessary to build a strong, qualified and skilled talent pipeline for this vital industry.</p>
<p>UpSkill Houston and its partners strive to make Houston an even greater place to live, work and build a business. By working with employers to coordinate and align the work necessary to develop our region’s workforce, we are building a skilled workforce vital for Houston to maintain its economic and global competitiveness. This skilled workforce also ensures that our residents share in the prosperity of our region and enjoy a great quality of life.</p>
<p>To learn more about UpSkill Houston, visit <a href="http://www.upskillhouston.org/">www.upskillhouston.org</a>.</p>
<p><em>This guest blog is a part of the CTWP series celebrating collaboration across seven U.S. communities.</em></p>
<p><em>This blog also is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the</em> <em><a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2013/11/fact-sheet-us-department-commerce-open-business-agenda">Open for Business Agenda</a>. This month’s focus is</em> <em>on <a href="//www.commerce.gov/skills-for-business">Skills for Business.</a></em></p>
Fri, 02 Dec 2016 11:00:21 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/upskill-houston-strengthening-our-residents-key-industry-sectors-and-regionalTraining Students for New Opportunities and New Liveshttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/training-students-new-opportunities-and-new-lives
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/mattkrahn.jpg?itok=-qE_tdd1" width="200" height="200" alt="Photo of Matt Krahn who found employment after taking the Accelerated CNC Training class, offered by the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MassMEP)." title="Photo of Matt Krahn who found employment after taking the Accelerated CNC Training class, offered by the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MassMEP)." /></span>
<p><em>Guest blog post by <a href="http://massmep.org/team/john-killam/">John Killam, Director of the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership’s (MassMEP) </a></em></p>
<p>A U.S. Air National Guard veteran, a high school dropout, a person with a background in sales and a family man who hadn’t been in a classroom for twenty years; four men on very different paths that ultimately led to one destination…the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership’s (MassMEP) Accelerated CNC Program.</p>
<p>Manufacturers across the state express their need for technically trained workers and their concern over the shortage of such workers in the “pipeline.” As “baby boomers” reach retirement age the number of trained CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine operators is declining rapidly. In answer to this shortage, MassMEP and its partners, developed the Accelerated CNC Program, an intense 280-hour, eight-week training that attracts men and women of all ages and backgrounds; with or without past manufacturing or machining experience. Participants are able to graduate with recognized credentials and college credits as well as Lean Manufacturing and OSHA certifications.</p>
<p>Some students want to learn skills to help them enter a new career, while others hope to update their skills for today’s manufacturing environment. <strong>Don Auclair</strong> had developed manual machining ability throughout his time with the U.S. Air National Guard and in subsequent civilian jobs. He knew that 98 percent of today’s machine shops would require CNC capabilities. A Google search for CNC training brought him to MassMEP’s website. He got details on the program, began the screening process and was selected. Auclair was able to leverage his participation in the training class to land a part-time position at machining company Technimetals to provide him some income during training. This allowed Auclair to demonstrate his work ethic and ability as he developed new skills. The arrangement lead to a full-time job at Technimetals after graduation. </p>
<p><strong>David Prak</strong> came to the Accelerated CNC Skills Training program at UMass Lowell from the United Teen Equality Center, a Lowell nonprofit that helps at-risk youth get back on track. “I wanted to make a good life for my daughter, for my family,” Prak shared. After earning his GED, Prak was eager to get out and explore new opportunities. The Accelerated CNC Skills Training interested him. In March, he began working as a machinist with a new joint partnership in the Northeast part of the state. The Advanced CNC Skills Training has put him on a pathway to earn 26 college credits while working at his job, an idea that really appeals to him. </p>
<p><strong>Matt Krahn</strong> was a good salesman but never really enjoyed sales, so when he became unemployed he took the opportunity to head in a different direction and got involved with the Accelerated CNC Training class, offered by MassMEP with (Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and Quinsigamond Community College. After passing the fairly extensive screening process, he was accepted into the class. Just about the time Krahn’s training was completed, Menck Window was looking for employees for their new facility. The company needed to hire the right people with the right skills who would be a good fit for their operation. After a few interviews, Menck hired Krahn in November 2014. “I would not have been prepared for a position like this if I didn’t have the MassMEP training.” says Krahn.</p>
<p>After two years in college followed by time in the Army in Germany as a petroleum Supply Specialist, <strong>Christopher Campbell</strong> spent several years in the restaurant industry before he and his wife returned to Worcester, Massachusetts, to raise their family. In 2015, he began the Accelerated CNC Training classes. As a 37-year-old father and husband, who had been unemployed for over 5 months and out of school for nearly two decades, he was nervous and had no idea what to expect. Things fell into place for Campbell during the second week of class with the actual hands-on training on the CNC machines in the machine lab at WPI. Not only was he learning, but at the same time the class was growing closer as a group and helping one another. As part of the program, MassMEP hosted a job fair inviting several local manufacturers with employment needs. The “speed dating” style event allowed potential employers to meet with each of the eleven candidates face-to-face and determine who they would like to invite for more in-depth, on-site interviews. Before the group even graduated on May 22<sup>nd</sup>, Campbell had four interviews and two job offers.</p>
<p>The Accelerated CNC Program has trained 326 people for careers in manufacturing. MassMEP is proud to partner with other institutions in the state to build the skills pipeline and ensure a strong manufacturing industry now and for years to come.</p>
<p><em>This blog is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the</em> <em><a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2013/11/fact-sheet-us-department-commerce-open-business-agenda">Open for Business Agenda</a>. This month’s focus is</em> <em>on <a href="//www.commerce.gov/skills-for-business">Skills for Business.</a></em></p>
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Thu, 01 Dec 2016 14:28:15 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/training-students-new-opportunities-and-new-livesThrough “Reimagined” JCCT, Secretary Pritzker Leads U.S. Delegation to Successes in Final Session of Obama Administrationhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/through-reimagined-jcct-secretary-pritzker-leads-us-delegation-successes-final
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/group_pic_cropped.jpg?itok=yDRYXQwx" width="200" height="200" alt="Commerce Secretary Pritkzer, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang, U.S. Trade Representative Froman, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack and U.S. Ambassador to China Baucus at the 27th U.S.-China JCCT" title="Commerce Secretary Pritkzer, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang, U.S. Trade Representative Froman, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack and U.S. Ambassador to China Baucus at the 27th U.S.-China JCCT" /></span>
<p>As key trading partners and the world’s two largest economies, the United States and China share a mutual interest in promoting economic prosperity, both nationally and globally. Last week, the 27<sup>th</sup> session of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) in Washington D.C. provided both countries a forum for a cooperative and constructive bilateral engagement.</p>
<p>U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman led the U.S. delegation in discussions with Vice Premier Wang Yang and other Chinese government officials. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus also participated in this year’s JCCT, the last of the Obama Administration.</p>
<p>The delegations focused on ensuring the full implementation of past JCCT commitments and also <a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2016/11/us-and-chinese-delegations-conclude-27th-session-us-china-joint">announced key outcomes </a>in the areas of intellectual property protection, pharmaceutical and medical devices, and information security policies. The two sides also announced future dialogues and collaborative and capacity building efforts.</p>
<p>The JCCT has transformed dramatically during Secretary Pritzker’s tenure. In 2013, during a tea break at the 2013 JCCT in Beijing, Secretary Pritzker, Vice Premier Wang, and Ambassador Froman had the radical idea of “reimagining” how the JCCT works. In addition to government-to-government meetings, the JCCT now includes opportunities for the American and Chinese delegations to hear directly from both countries’ business communities about opportunities to strengthen the U.S.-China economic relationship. Additionally, during the dialogue, both countries’ representatives participate in events that foster greater communication and promote growth opportunities between U.S. and Chinese business leaders.</p>
<p><strong>Here are key outcomes of the 2016 JCCT:</strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Implementation</em></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>The two parties agree on the importance past JCCT outcomes to secure meaningful benefits for our workers and businesses, with both sides agreeing to build upon commitments made in previous JCCT sessions.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><em>Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals</em></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>China committed to strengthen oversight of government procurement of medical devices to ensure foreign brands and foreign-manufactured products are treated in a transparent, fair, and equitable manner.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><em>Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Protection and Enforcement</em></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>China agreed to a number of IPR-related commitments, and affirmed that it is strengthening its trade secrets protections and prioritizing enforcement against online IPR counterfeiting and piracy.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><em>Excess Capacity</em></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>The U.S. and China agreed to jointly promote the expeditious establishment of the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity, and jointly recognized the G20 Leaders’ commitment to take effective steps to address the challenges of global excess capacity. Both sides have agreed to exchange information on soda ash and to address global electrolytic aluminum excess capacity. </li>
</ul>
<p><strong><em>Innovation</em></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>The U.S. and China agreed to build upon commitments made by Presidents Obama and Xi in September that innovation policies should be consistent with the principle of nondiscrimination. China confirmed that its “secure and controllable” policies will not limit sales opportunities for foreign companies.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><em>Semiconductors</em></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>China reaffirmed that operation of the integrated circuit investment funds will be based on market principles and that the government will not interfere with the normal operation of the funds.</li>
</ul>
<p>For more information, please see the <a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2016/11/us-fact-sheet-27th-us-china-joint-commission-commerce-and-trade">U.S. Fact Sheet on the 27th U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade.</a></p>
Thu, 01 Dec 2016 11:20:02 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/through-reimagined-jcct-secretary-pritzker-leads-us-delegation-successes-finalBuffalo Niagara Region Looks to National Best Practices to Inform Workforce Development Strategieshttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/buffalo-niagara-region-looks-national-best-practices-inform-workforce-development
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/buffaloniagra.jpg?itok=dJFOQMQO" width="200" height="200" alt="Liz Callahan, Workforce Development Manager at the Buffalo Niagara Partnership" title="Liz Callahan, Workforce Development Manager at the Buffalo Niagara Partnership" /></span>
<p><em>Guest blog by <a href="http://www.thepartnership.org/the-partnership/staff-directory/">Liz Callahan</a>, </em><em>Workforce Development Manager at the Buffalo Niagara Partnership</em></p>
<p>A “New Buffalo” is emerging, and civic optimism is riding high these days in western New York. In 2014, with a surge of new immigrants and many former residents returning to Buffalo, the city and region marked the reversal of a 50-year decline in population.</p>
<p>Looking to harness this momentum, regional leaders from business, philanthropy, government and education came together to form the Buffalo Niagara Regional Workforce Coalition. The Coalition is a multiyear, multisector collective effort whose goal is to build a better, more rational workforce development system that meets the needs of growing businesses, creates economic opportunity for all residents, and pushes forward the two-county region’s renaissance. In fact, the New York State Department of Labor projects 20,000 advanced manufacturing openings through 2020 due to retirements and growth. </p>
<p>Accelerating the work of the Coalition was a goal of the <a href="http://www.aspenwsi.org/communities-that-work/overview/">Communities that Work Partnership (CTWP)</a> team. This was accomplished by connecting the Buffalo team with the CTWP team from Houston, Texas. Based on the <a href="http://upskillhouston.org/">Upskill Houston</a> best practice, the Coalition named the <a href="http://www.thepartnership.org/">Buffalo Niagara Partnership</a> the backbone organization and is moving forward on prototype work in manufacturing. Additionally, the coalition capitalized on best practices and expertise from the CTWP and the <a href="https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/talent-pipeline-management">US Chamber of Commerce Talent Management Pipeline</a> process to establish a vision, mission and framework.</p>
<p>While the Coalition’s goals are large and complex, the leaders believe using collective impact and following the Talent Management Pipeline process will lead to steady progress for the region. The Coalition would not be as far along, nor would we have the heightened awareness of the obstacles we need to overcome for systems change.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.thepartnership.org/">The Buffalo Niagara Partnership</a> is a privately-funded, economic development organization and the largest regional chamber of commerce in Western New York. We comprise some of the most established regional employers, representing a quarter of a million member employees. To learn more about the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, visit <a href="http://www.thepartnership.org/">www.thepartnership.org/</a>.</p>
<p><em>This blog is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the</em> <em><a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2013/11/fact-sheet-us-department-commerce-open-business-agenda">Open for Business Agenda</a>. This month’s focus is</em> <em>on <a href="//www.commerce.gov/skills-for-business">Skills for Business.</a></em></p>
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<p><em>This guest blog is a part of the CTWP series celebrating collaboration across seven U.S. communities.</em></p>
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Thu, 01 Dec 2016 10:47:21 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/12/buffalo-niagara-region-looks-national-best-practices-inform-workforce-developmentConstructing a Future that Enables all Americans to Succeedhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/11/constructing-future-enables-all-americans-succeed
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/bradsmith.jpg?itok=mm6bMpX8" width="200" height="200" alt=" Brad Smith, President of Microsoft" title=" Brad Smith, President of Microsoft" /></span>
<p><em>Guest blog post by <a href="https://news.microsoft.com/exec/brad-smith/#sm.0001105kxa1cmmdmsugaev3796bmm">Brad Smith, President of Microsoft</a></em></p>
<p>Without question, the nature of jobs and work is changing. New digital technologies are reshaping the tasks that make up our daily work. Jobs themselves increasingly reflect new alternative arrangements, including contract, freelance, and so-called “gig economy” work for digital intermediaries such as Uber, Lyft, and Handy. On the one hand, Yogi Berra clearly got it right when he said that “it’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” But one thing is clear: jobs and work in the future will be different from the past.</p>
<p>The bigger question is whether we can construct a future that enables all Americans to benefit from these changes. This has been the central focus of the working group I’ve been chairing this year for the Digital Economy Board of Advisors, or DEBA. In March, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker appointed 17 individuals to serve on DEBA for a two-year term. We’ll come together on December 15 to share with the Secretary and the public what we’ve learned to date.</p>
<p>The reality is that the changing nature of jobs and work is creating both opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, more people today are taking advantage of the opportunity to work in new ways. Many are working remotely, while others are working as independent contractors or in other arrangements. A recent study by the McKinsey Global Institute estimated that between 54 million and 68 million Americans now engage as self-employed or temporary workers. Over half of these individuals use independent work to supplement their pay rather than earn their primary income from it. Some people work part-time because they cannot find a full-time job, but increasingly many others work fewer hours or have multiple sources of income because they prefer this arrangement. </p>
<p>But new challenges have arisen as well. Individuals need to learn new skills to keep pace, and this isn’t always easy. Over the next decade this could become more daunting still, as technology continues to change rapidly. There is a broadening need for new technical skills and stronger soft skills. The ability – and opportunity – to continue learning has itself become more important. </p>
<p>Given all this, a “healthy digital economy” needs to be a “learning economy” where the ability of the workforce to continue learning is fundamental to healthy employment growth. This too will require innovation. </p>
<p>One key to unleashing this innovation will be a sense of shared responsibility. New solutions will need to come from employers across the private sector, from educational institutions, from the creators of technology tools, and from the public sector at all levels. And critically, all of us will need to pursue with a sense of individual responsibility these lifelong learning opportunities.</p>
<p>These new issues will not just occupy but may define part of the future of the Department of Commerce. The Department can play a leadership role within the Federal Government in addressing these new needs. Future opportunities for Americans throughout our economy will depend on the Department seizing this opportunity and playing this role well. </p>
<p><em>This blog is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the</em> <em><a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2013/11/fact-sheet-us-department-commerce-open-business-agenda">Open for Business Agenda</a>. This month’s focus is</em> <em>on <a href="//www.commerce.gov/skills-for-business">Skills for Business.</a></em></p>
Wed, 30 Nov 2016 12:47:47 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/11/constructing-future-enables-all-americans-succeedIt’s a Wrap! America Celebrates Biggest National Seafood Month Yethttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/11/its-wrap-america-celebrates-biggest-national-seafood-month-yet
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2016/seafood.jpg?itok=QVtzi98u" width="200" height="200" alt="Graphic on Amount of Seafood Added to the American Diet During the Past Year" title="Graphic on Amount of Seafood Added to the American Diet During the Past Year" /></span>
<p>Last month, we celebrated <a href="http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2011/10/celebrating_national_seafood_month.html">National Seafood Month</a>, which highlights the contributions of America’s fishermen, fish farmers, and fishing communities to our economy each and every day.</p>
<p>Our commercial fishing and seafood industries have been essential to our economy since the founding of our nation, and they remain vital to the livelihood of many American communities and families today. After decades of decline, we are witnessing the astounding economic and ecological recovery of America’s fishing industry. Today, overfishing has hit an all-time low, and 40 stocks have been returned to sustainable levels. The U.S. fishing industry contributed nearly $200 billion to the American economy in 2014 and supports 1.83 million jobs.</p>
<p>What’s more, American consumers have an increasing appetite for seafood. Our team at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found the average American added <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/media-release/americans-added-nearly-1-pound-of-seafood-to-their-diet-in-2015">nearly 1 pound</a> of seafood to their diet in 2015 alone. This rise in demand is anticipated to continue, underscoring the importance of expanding U.S. aquaculture production.</p>
<p>To keep up with demand, we must ensure we have a sustainable supply of seafood long into the future. The good news is that NOAA <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/media-release/americans-added-nearly-1-pound-of-seafood-to-their-diet-in-2015">also reports</a> continued stability in U.S. wild-capture commercial and recreational fish stocks. Last year, commercial fishermen landed 9.7 billion pounds of fish and shellfish valued at $5.2 billion, with lobster, crab and shrimp topping the list. Additionally, 8.9 million saltwater recreational anglers also took to the waters, making nearly 61 million trips resulting in a catch of more than 350 million fish.</p>
<p>U.S. aquaculture production – whose top-farmed species include oysters, clam and Atlantic salmon – generated 608 million pounds of seafood valued at $1.3 billion. The jobs, economic productivity, and food security generated by growth in domestic aquaculture production is important for our portfolio of sustainable seafood and the resilience of our seafood production communities.</p>
<p>While we only celebrate National Seafood Month during October, this year also marks the 40<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the <a href="http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2015/11/msa40.html">Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act</a>. This law created guidelines and harvesting quotas fishermen that abide by in our wild-capture fisheries, which laid the foundation for a thriving and sustainable American seafood industry. It is one of the most visionary pieces of environmental legislation ever devised and serves as the world’s gold standard for responsible fishery policies.</p>
<p>In addition, last month, the Department of Commerce was proud to host <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/champions">12 Americans</a> recognized as Champions of Change earlier this month. The honorees are chefs, fishers, entrepreneurs, and scientists who have implemented innovative fishing practices. Their work is ensuring America’s fishermen and coastal communities will continue to thrive in an increasingly competitive global economy.</p>
<p>Today, fishery management in America is a model for the world. Using science from the sea and data from the lab to inform management decisions, we are strengthening America’s fisheries while also ensuring that marine ecosystems continue to produce a sustainable supply of seafood long into the future. Through close cooperation between government and industry, we are bringing sustainability to a sector that is vital to our coastal communities and our economy at large. </p>
Tue, 29 Nov 2016 10:00:19 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/11/its-wrap-america-celebrates-biggest-national-seafood-month-yetThe Impact of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnershipshttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/11/impact-faith-based-and-neighborhood-partnerships
<span align="left"><img class="image-style-scalecrop-200x200" src="https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/styles/scalecrop_200x200/public/media/images/2014/laughing-participant-640x480.jpg?itok=Sv5tcTyx" width="200" height="200" alt="Commerce Partners with Small Business Administration for the Launch of Business Sunday in Houston, Texas" title="Commerce Partners with Small Business Administration for the Launch of Business Sunday in Houston, Texas" /></span>
<p>For the last eight years, the Department of Commerce has had a robust relationship with faith communities and non-profit organizations. This has taken place through the efforts of the Commerce Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships (CCFBNP) to work with communities. This work has led to increased engagement of Commerce agencies, partnership with faith based and secular organizations and have allowed Commerce to engage communities around the United States.</p>
<p>As the director of the CCFBNP, I have worked along with the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and fourteen Federal agencies, to connect secular and faith- based organizations with opportunities, resources and information. Specifically, the CCFBNP works to fulfill the mission of the Department of Commerce, which is to “promote job creation, economic growth, sustainable development, and improved standards of living for all Americans”. I want to use today, which has been called, “Faith and Community Day” to share the vital work of the CCFBNP. Please read of just a few ways our office has worked here at Commerce:</p>
<p><strong>Community</strong> <strong>Development Resource</strong> <strong>Toolkit:</strong><strong> </strong>In 2014, the Center created the Department of Commerce’s first-ever Community Development Resource Toolkit (CDRT). The goal of this important tool is to highlight how community-based organizations can utilize Commerce-specific resources to promote local economic development. The CDRT has been updated to include all twelve Commerce bureaus and continues to highlight the resources and information communities can use to access and understand the vast partnership opportunities with the Department of Commerce.</p>
<p><strong>Business</strong><strong> Sunday: </strong>Business Sunday is an initiative born out of a collaboration between the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), BusinessUSA and the Small Business Administration (SBA). Business Sunday is focused on providing current and aspiring business leaders from congregations and communities around the country with the federal resources they need to start or grow their companies. The Business Sunday program was piloted in March 2014 at the 19th Street Baptist Church in Washington, DC. Nearly three hundred (300) business owners, entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders came together for the initial event, showcasing the strong interest in the program and leading to its expansion. The Business Sunday program is a reflection of the Obama Administration's efforts to strengthen our economy by empowering people – business owners, entrepreneurs, community development organizations, faith-based groups and others – to effect positive change at the local level.</p>
<p><strong>Bureau</strong><strong> Engagement Highlight – Census Department: </strong>In 2010, the CCFBNP sought to assist and amplify the work of the Census Bureau. Using its experience of working with faith-based and community-based organizations, the CCFBNP made important contributions to the Census effort. Comments by former CCFBNP director Cedric Grant, capture the nature of the work done to amplify the Census Department message: “Community leaders, both faith-based and secular, know their communities intimately and service hard-to-count populations through their various programs…Meetings with these groups have led to the establishment of Interfaith Complete Count Committee Working Groups in targeted cities that performed below the national average in the 2000 Census. These working groups are effective at reaching populations that are the hardest to sample because of social, cultural or other barriers.”</p>
<p>These are just a few examples of the work that the Department of Commerce Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships has engaged in over the last eight years. I am proud of the accomplishments of past directors, such as Joshua Dickson and Cedric Grant, and the vital work this Center continues to do. Looking back, I believe that partnership – relationship development and bringing people together – is a powerful tool for increasing opportunities for the American people. I believe that our relationship with communities (faith based and secular), organizations and business make success possible. When I think of the impact of the CCFBNP, I believe Secretary Pritzker best summarizes the importance of this work to the communities that have been assisted around the country:</p>
<p><strong><em>“By linking community leaders and organizations with critical economic development programs, technical assistance and other resources, the Department of Commerce is working to achieve its mission of promoting job creation, economic growth, sustainable development and improved standards of living for all Americans by working in partnership with businesses, universities, communities and our nation’s workers.” Penny Pritzker, Secretary, Department of Commerce</em></strong></p>
Tue, 29 Nov 2016 08:35:04 -0500kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/11/impact-faith-based-and-neighborhood-partnerships